Arkadij Naiditsch: “I’m Only Twenty-Six”

E.SUROV: This is Chess-News, we’re at the closing ceremony of the European Team Championship. I’m Evgeni Surov and we will talk to Arkadij Naiditsch – the leader of the German team. Thanks to Arkadij’s win over Radjabov in the last but one game Germany took the lead and maintained it. Greetings, Arkadij!

A.NAIDITSCH: Thank you.

E.SUROV: Admit that you didn’t expect such a result at the beginning of the tournament.

A.NAIDITSCH: No, of course, I didn’t. We have a very strong team but nothing more. We planned to fight for being in top-five teams. Everything went very well for us and everyone showed more than 2700 performance, even the player from a reserve list. The whole team played very well. Georg Meier’s win in the last round brought our team the title. In the case of a draw we would be not even the second, but on the third place. I think everyone from our team tried their bests; and of course our coach Kasimdzanov helped us a lot. That was a first time we had a second and we are satisfied with his work a lot.

E.SUROV: Would you tell us more about that crucial game with Radjabov?

A.NAIDITSCH: It seems that Teimour got a worse position from the opening. I think that I had an advantage during the whole game, although after the opening it got a bit sharper. In a time trouble he could find any workable ways for attacking, so that I took all his pawns without any actual threats.

E.SUROV: Arkadij, as we know your team had some sort of a conflict with German Chess Federation some time ago. There weren’t any leading players in the team. What is the situation now?

A.NAIDITSCH: From that point of view the situation hasn’t changed. The conflict between German Chess Federation and the team still exists. Unfortunately, I can’t say the situation has changed anyhow.

E.SUROV: Could you tell us what is the conflict about?

A.NAIDITSCH: I don’t really want to pick a quarrel or enter into discussions and so forth, but, well, the conflict bases on the unwillingness of the federation to help top-players in our country. The players with the rating of 2000 are getting a lot, while the leaders of the National team aren’t supported anyhow; and that’s despite the fact that the annual budget of the federation is really huge – 700 000 Euro; and still nothing happens.

E.SUROV: Despite that you gathered and came to this tournament.

A.NAIDITSCH: We gathered as a team, although we didn’t get anything special from the federation. No trainings, no financial support – simply nothing and what is more, most probably nothing is yet to come.

E.SUROV: You don’t expect anything even after getting the title?

A.NAIDITSCH: Not really. We don’t have any kind of expectations. I think this victory is a great pleasure for each of us personally. Maybe this is the most important thing I’ve won in my entire life. That’s a great result for other members of the team as well. So, it’s not only about money; not everybody has won the European Team Championship.

E.SUROV: It seems that this is going to be the most memorable event in your life.

A.NAIDITSCH: For the first three – surely yes. Well, yes as yet.

E.SUROV: Maybe the biggest achievements are yet to come?

A.NAIDITSCH: I hope so. I’m only 26 years old, so maybe the best is yet to come. Time will show.

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